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ADDS Kipyegon and Muir quotes, details
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon gave herself a timely Olympic tonic by bettering her own world record in the women’s 1500m at the Paris Diamond League meet on Sunday.
Led out by two pacemakers, Kipyegon broke to the front and clocked 3min 49.04sec in a superb display of running at Stade Charlety.
She improved by 0.07sec her previous best set in Florence in June 2023.
Kipyegon, 30, will return to Paris for the Summer Games as one of the hot favourites.
She is already a double Olympic 1500m champion, and also has three world titles.
Last year at the Budapest worlds, she did the double by winning the 5,000m alongside the 1500m.
“It feels amazing to break the world record. I am in the right direction towards the Paris Olympics,” Kipyegon said.
“I have come from far because of the injury and recovering. After the trials I knew that I was in world record shape. I have run the quickest time in Kenya with the altitude.
“It showed me that I was capable of breaking the world record again. We just tried, because everything is possible.”
Australian Jessica Hull ran an Oceania record of 3:50.83 for second, while Britain’s Laura Muir rounded out the podium in a national record of 3:53.79 as the top eight athletes all set personal bests.
“Jessica was really good. I felt that she was behind me and I had to be careful because you never know if something can happen. But I just relaxed and ran my race,” said Kipyegon.
“I knew that she is strong because she has broken the area record many times. The crowd was really cheerful, that was why the energy was so strong, it is really pushing us towards the finish line.
“With my injury I was really scared because I didn’t know if I was going to make it. But I took my time and trusted my team and stayed out of competition for long.
“I will absolutely do the double in Paris, in the 1500m and 5000m!”
Muir said she had “sensed” that Kipyegon was going to go for the record.
“The Olympics are going to come in no time, so I am very happy and excited. I did know that I was in this kind of shape. I knew I was in a good spot, but I needed to run my own race. I’ve never run under 3:54 before so it was amazing,” Muir said.
“We’re not surprised,” she said of Kipyegon’s effort.
“This is my fourth race with Faith where she broke the world record and it is amazing to be a part of that. She is able to do something that we have never seen and that drags all of us to run fast times as well.”
Given the competition in the event, Muir added: “To win an Olympic medal will require a very fast time. It is going to be so, so hard.”
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